quick question about ISO: so I rarely shoot above 800 ISO and that is only ocasionally, so my question is what is the advantage of higher ISO's. The few times I have used them the...

justingraham Loc: Eugene, Oregon

so I rarely shoot above 800 ISO and that is only ocasionally, so my question is what is the advantage of higher ISO's. The few times I have used them the results were not so good, being super grainy was the major issue?
Any suggestions or insight would be great, thanks.... :)

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

You would use high iso in low light situations for starters.
If you need to keep your shutter setting at a point where camera shake or subject movement is kept to a minimum, a high iso setting is a plus.
The newer cameras do a better job of noise supression as do the "full-frame" cameras.

raynardo Loc: Oceanside, CA

The higher the ISO the lower amount of light is needed to properly expose the image inside the camera. But this at the expense of the amount of graininess - higher ISO = more grain.

Now sometimes you need to capture an image and auxiliary lighting is not possible (or allowed) or you need a faster shutter speed, then your only choice may be that higher ISO.

Yet sometimes that grainier effect is desirable....

krispix Loc: London - UK

justingraham wrote:

so I rarely shoot above 800 ISO and that is only ocasionally, so my question is what is the advantage of higher ISO's. The few times I have used them the results were not so good, being super grainy was the major issue?
Any suggestions or insight would be great, thanks.... :)

Hi Justin and welcome.
You don't say what your camera is. Full Frame sensors tend to be able to handle high ISO settings better than crop sensors, plus newer sensors are better than older ones, Nikon/Sony are better than Canon etc. etc. Also, the firmware has a significant effect.
If your camera has the capability, you may be able to reduce noise in-camera. Additionally, you may be able to download updated firmware which may help.
Give us some more technical information and we may be able to help more.

singleviking Loc: Lake Sebu Eco Park, Philippines

Need more info on the camera body, lenses used and type of photography you take. Just a note though, better lenses with lower F-stop will always aid in reducing grain and the new camera processors and sensors can utilize much higher ISO settings before they begin to show serious noise issues.

TedPaul Loc: Madison, MS

Thought I knew a bit about photography. I have not been on this site long; but what a plethora of useful information. Thanks to everyone.

justingraham Loc: Eugene, Oregon

well i guess i did leave out some info huh.... i am shooting a Nikon D3100, using the 18-55 kit lens with a tripod. i was really just asking for a better understanding of the uses for high ISO, as I said i rarely shoot above 800 but it would be nice to get good results when i do use it...thanks for all the replies everyone
Justin

krispix Loc: London - UK

justingraham wrote:

well i guess i did leave out some info huh.... i am shooting a Nikon D3100, using the 18-55 kit lens with a tripod. i was really just asking for a better understanding of the uses for high ISO, as I said i rarely shoot above 800 but it would be nice to get good results when i do use it...thanks for all the replies everyone
Justin

OK Justin,
For the purpose of this query we can ignore the lens and the tripod because neither of them have any bearing on the signal to noise ratio.
The D3100 is reasonably new, but it's always worth checking on Nikon's web site for any software updates.
I don't know if you have the facility on the D3100, but have a look on your menu and go to Camera settings, then scroll down to a heading called "Long Exp. NR" and switch this to 'On'. Then the next one down from here is "High ISO NR" and switch this to 'Norm' or 'High' depending on how much the noise bothers you.
The Long Exposure setting won't have much effect on high ISO noise, but I've thrown it in because you mentioned you used a tripod which intimates you may be using long exposures.

Jim Tolliver Loc: Loveland, Ohio

I can put my D5100 on night vision when the light is too low and I want to shoot way beyond flash distance capability. Of course night vision is in black and white, but good pictures.

raynardo Loc: Oceanside, CA

Jim Tolliver wrote:

I can put my D5100 on night vision when the light is too low and I want to shoot way beyond flash distance capability. Of course night vision is in black and white, but good pictures.

To quote the Moody Blues in "Nights in White Satin":

Cold-hearted orb that rules the night
Removes the colors from our sight
Red is gray and yellow white
And we decide which is right
And which is an illusion?

tom hughes Loc: Phila Pa

justingraham wrote:

so I rarely shoot above 800 ISO and that is only ocasionally, so my question is what is the advantage of higher ISO's. The few times I have used them the results were not so good, being super grainy was the major issue?
Any suggestions or insight would be great, thanks.... :)

this is 2800 ISO, 42mm, f2/8, 1/200 at a local performance of the Nutcracker, from my seat, hand held.

jimmya Loc: Phoenix

justingraham wrote:

so I rarely shoot above 800 ISO and that is only ocasionally, so my question is what is the advantage of higher ISO's. The few times I have used them the results were not so good, being super grainy was the major issue?
Any suggestions or insight would be great, thanks.... :)

It's interesting to me because I think it's a marketing thing. It's like asking why so many pixels stuffed on to a sensor - advantage? Very little. Above 10 or 12mp there's very little noticeable change in overall quality unless you plan to enlarge to the size of a VW microbus.

You're correct about "noise" it's called, those annoying tiny specs that show up at higher ISO settings. The same was true with overly sensitive film - grain they called in in film, noise in digital photos.

Marketing, that's all

tom hughes Loc: Phila Pa

jimmya wrote:

quote=justingraham so I rarely shoot above 800 IS... (show quote)

this is a 5000 ISO setting 1/40 of a second hand held, notice the clarity of the christmas tree;s lower left of picture

rebride

raynardo wrote:

Jim Tolliver wrote:

To quote the Moody Blues in "Nights in White Satin":

Cold-hearted orb that rules the night
Removes the colors from our sight
Red is gray and yellow white
And we decide which is right
And which is an illusion?

Nice, very nice.

jimmya Loc: Phoenix

tom hughes wrote:

quote=jimmya quote=justingraham so I rarely shoo... (show quote)

Yes I see that but that kind of shot is very rare at that high an ISO setting.
Most cameras won't do that well at 5,000.